Monday, May 11, 2009
Who is Jon Favreau?
Jon Favreau
By Ted Sorensen
The life of a presidential speechwriter is not an easy one; take it from someone who knows. It's not just the hours and the stress — it's the odd way that in a circle of powerful people, the word "only" tends to get attached to your name. Jon Favreau, President Obama's head speechwriter, is learning about that. I hope he also learns to remind himself that it's an undeserved word.
True, Favreau is only a speechwriter. But the President of the United States is once again the central mover and shaker in this country and the world. The man who wields the first and final pen helps determine American policy and its place in that world.
True, he is only one of several on the President's talented team and specializes in major domestic speeches. But having served with Obama since the President's first days in the U.S. Senate, Favreau is primus inter pares, consulted on every key pronouncement. Today, as the world depends on America's efforts to strengthen its economy and regain its senses, U.S. domestic policy affects everyone.
True, Favreau is only 27. But when I entered the White House at 32, I was thankful that I had the energy and idealism necessary to withstand the repeated crises, criticisms and lengthy late-night hours of emergency meetings.
And true, he has the good luck to work for a brilliant and articulate President (something I know a little bit about too). But every President — particularly in today's complex world — lacks the time to plan and draft with full consideration and information all the statements that his responsibilities require him to deliver virtually every day.
It is President Obama who is lucky to have found someone who shares his thinking and style of speaking as readily and congenially as Jon Favreau, and it is the nation that is lucky that those two found each other. Favreau's survival in the No. 1 position throughout all these years of testing and turmoil, believe me, is not merely a matter of luck.
Sorensen was speechwriter for President John F. Kennedy. His most recent book is Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History
Fast fact: Favreau wrote parts of Obama's Inaugural Address on his laptop in a Starbucks. He fuels himself on double espressos and Red Bull
Thanks to Time Magazine
Monday, May 4, 2009
Ako Mismo!
To explain further " AKO mismo is about YOU… … making a stand and taking real action for the causes you believe in. Causes that you yourself can truly pursue to make a real, positive difference to your fellow countryman, to your country."
If you wanted to join to AKO mismo, please visit www.akomismo.com and be a proud member. AKO MISMO!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Shakeys' V-league Moment
I was in the V-league opening last Sunday and I was so happy because Adamson won over Ateneo...("as usual" atenean v-league writer said). But the thing is...Fr. Gregg ( Adu President) saw me there....then he asked me " bakit hindi ka na bumabalik ng adamson?" LOL. Father I was there last December 2008... 4 months ago...not that long. Anyway, I did not open any topic coz we were in the arena...there was no time to talk about anything..(u know what I am saying)....so he asked for my number, work, etc...and it ended with that....when I saw coach Minerva coming...Oh GOd thank you. LOL!
So...i went back to my ringside seat (yabang)however...I saw Cherry Rose Macatangay...the great Volleyball Player of Adamson University before... and the best player of RP Team right now...therefore I turned my digital camera on ( i'm sorry, hiniram ko lang pala) and took her a picture. I was so so so happy coz all volleyball bloggers have been waiting for her and expected to be a guest player of Adu...kaso lang andyan pa ang former MVP of V-league who is Nene Bautista. It was a great day ...he he pero di ko alam for ateneans...haha. They were expecting a lot from their Thai Guest Player kc however...ala namang nagawa ang guest player nila so...sorry na lang... Accding to an atenean blogger: The last time Adamson lost to Ateneo was in their battle for third in 2007 second conference but the Falcons stamped their class and swept the Eagles in all their six meetings last season. Adamson reasserted its mastery over Ateneo-OraCare as it scored a 25-20, 25-19. 25-18 romp in an auspicious start to its title-retention drive in the sixth season of the Shakey’s V-League at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan yesterday.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The Ten Best Asian Horror Films
In descending order from no. 10 to no. 1, and in a span of more than 8 decades, the best screamers Asia has to offer are the following and see if there is any movie from the Philippines which scared Asian viewers...
10. Song at Midnight (1937, China)
Director: Weibang Ma-Xu
Considered China’s first foray into the horror genre, this is a film that would be at home alongside the American monsters who were gracing the screen in the 1930s-Dracula, Frankenstein and their ilk. Weibang wrote and directed this story loosely based on The Phantom of the Opera about a young Chinese opera singer mentored by a disfigured “monster” who pines for his lost love. Originally marketed with the tagline “Please don’t take your children” after a rumor circulated that a child died of fright while watching the film, Song at Midnight was finally introduced to Western audiences in 1998 and instantly proclaimed a classic of Chinese cinema.
9. Shutter (2004, Thailand)
Directors: Banjong Pisanthanakun & Parkpoom Wongpoom
Forget this year’s lousy American remake; check out the original. Yes, it’s another film about a pissed-off female spirit with long black hair out for vengeance, but Shutter tries hard to make the otherwise familiar proceedings fresh. The filmmakers create a conflicted protagonist who isn’t your standard goody-two shoes, allowing for a depth usually not seen in characters in this type of movie. But what really sets Shutter apart is how the directors milk the film’s spooky concept (ghosts appearing in photographs) for all its worth, using both striking visuals and an incredibly effective sound design to heighten the chill factor.
8. Matango (1963, Japan)
Director: Ishiro Honda
Directed by the man who gave us the original Godzilla, with its allusion to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this cult classic may be one of the strangest and bleakest films you’ll see. When a yacht encounters a storm, the passengers and crew take refuge on a desert island where they discover an abandoned research ship, wild mushrooms growing everywhere and a bizarre presence that would confound even the hardened castaways of TV’s Lost. The film’s Americanized title-Attack of the Mushroom People-says everything you need to know about what’s coming next but what elevates this film above standard B-movie shlock is its unflinching take on the horrors modern man inflicts on himself.
7. The Echo (2004, Philippines)
Director: Yam Laranas
Horror films from the Philippines may not be as familiar to Americans as those from its Asian neighbors, but The Echo is the perfect place to start for those unfamiliar with that country’s recent wave of excellent genre entries. The Echo is a throwback to old school scare flicks like The Innocents and the original The Haunting, eschewing modern visual effects and “slasher” moments to create terror the old fashioned way: by suggesting it through vivid storytelling, committed performances and the use of subtle visuals and sounds. When a shot of a door slowly creaking open can send chills down your spine, you know you’re in the hands of a master.
6. Audition (1999, Japan)
Director: Takashi Miike
A film experience so disturbing that several audience members had to be hospitalized and even extreme horror director Rob Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses) had a difficult time sitting through it, Audition is not for everyone. A middle-aged widower holds fake film “auditions” to find an attractive woman to become his next wife. But when he finds himself drawn to an ex-ballerina with a fuzzy past, things quickly take a disturbing turn for the worst. Audition’s most notorious moment is a scene of torture that makes Kathy Bates taking a sledgehammer to James Caan’s feet in Misery look like a Sunday School outing. But if you can stomach the movie, you’ll be treated to a wicked satire on the battle of the sexes that’s more insightful than most serious-minded dramas.
5. Chinese Ghost Story (1987, Hong Kong)
Director: Siu-Tung Ching
An effective mix of genres-horror, romance, comedy and action-A Chinese Ghost Story is one of the seminal films of the 1980s Hong Kong New Wave movement. A young Leslie Cheung plays a tax collector who finds shelter one night in an abandoned temple where he falls in love with the ghost of a beautiful woman held captive by an evil Tree Demon. When he decides to rescue her, he gets more than he bargained for (including a trip to the underworld). Director Sam Raimi (Spiderman) has acknowledged the huge influence of this film on his own work (see The Army of Darkness and select episodes of Xena that include shot-by-shot tributes to Ching’s film). And like Raimi’s work, Chinese Ghost Story’s refusal to be locked into any genre conventions gives it an energy that’s still unsurpassed 20 years later.
4. A Tale of Two Sisters (2003, South Korea)
Director: Ji-Woon Kim
Boasting one of the coolest movie posters ever created, this psychological ghost story became Korea’s highest grossing horror film at the time of its release. Based on the Korean folk story entitled Janghwa, Hongreyon-jon, A Tale of Two Sisters tells the story of two teenaged sisters, their sadistic step-mother and the haunted house they’re forced to share. Yes, the film can be dense and confusing if you don’t pay close attention, but unlike most horror movies that have a B-movie feel, Kim infuses his work with a poetic lyricism and a heart-breaking pathos that elevates it to the level of true tragedy. All this and a twist ending that ranks up there with The Sixth Sense.
3. Ugetsu (1953, Japan)
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Considered Mizoguchi’s masterpiece and often appearing on film authority Sight and Sound’s list of the ten best films of all time, Ugetsu may not be your cup of tea if you’re looking for constant scares (the supernatural element isn’t even made clear until the end of the film). But it’s a must-see for anyone seeking a truly transcendent film-going experience. The setting is sixteenth century Japan and a nation in the midst of civil war. Two ambitious peasants set out to make their fortune-one as a potter and the other as a samurai-leaving their wives behind to suffer tragic consequences. This may be one of Japan’s most famous ghost stories, but in Mizoguchi’s hands, it’s also a powerful examination of the horrors men foist on women and the ways in which the women survive those horrors.
2. The Host (2006, South Korea)
Director: Joon-Ho Bong
All due respect to the monstrous stars in the recent big screen incarnations of Godzilla, King Kong and Cloverfield, but the creature at the center of South Korea’s all-time box office hit literally blows them all out of the water. Inspired by a real-life scandal that involved the U.S. military illegally dumping chemicals into Seoul’s Han River, director and co-writer Bong imagines what may have happened if those chemicals had created a new life form that resembles a cross between the monster from Alien and a large prehistoric whale. While the film works as a commentary on the U.S. presence in Korea, the hysteria over SARS, the plight of Korea’s working class and as an examination of the modern dysfunctional family, at its heart it’s an entertainingly kick-ass creature feature that will make you feel like a kid again.
1. Ringu (1998, Japan)
Director: Hideo Nakata
The one that started it all. The huge success of this film kicked off a new wave of stylish Asian horror films that made its way to our shores with Dreamworks’ own remake of Nakata’s masterpiece. If the Hollywood remake attacks you like a feral animal, the original burrows slowly under your skin, building a sense of Hitchcockian tension until it climaxes in one of the most memorable moments of cinematic terror that rivals the shower scene in Psycho. The plot is deceptively simple and utterly genius-anyone who watches a mysterious videotape ends up dead in exactly a week. From this concept, Nakata expertly weaves a tale that finds the horror in the most mundane corners of our modern technological culture. Much imitated but never equaled, this is not just one of the best Asian horror films, but one of the best films from Asia. Period.
Acknowledgment: Thank you to Starmometer.com
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
NY TIMES this weeks' Paperback Advice Best Seller
This Week
1
THE LOVE DARE, by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Lawrence Kimbrough. (B&H, $14.99.) A 40-day challenge for spouses who want to practice unconditional love. (†)
2
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel. (Workman, $14.95.) Advice for parents-to-be. (†)
3
NATURALLY THIN, by Bethenny Frankel with Eve Adamson. (Fireside, $16.) Rules and recipes for escaping the diet trap, from a star of “The Real Housewives of New York City.”
4*
THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES, by Gary Chapman. (Northfield, $13.99.) How to communicate love in a way a spouse will understand.
5
THE POWER OF NOW, by Eckhart Tolle. (New World Library, $14.) A guide to personal growth and spiritual enlightenment.
6
SKINNY BITCH, by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. (Running Press, $13.95.) Vegan diet advice from the world of modeling.
7
SUZE ORMAN’S 2009 ACTION PLAN, by Suze Orman. (Spiegel & Grau, $9.99.) Managing your money in hard times.
8
TWILIGHT, by Mark Cotta Vaz. (Little, Brown, $16.99.) A behind-the-scenes look at the film based on the vampire romance for young adults by Stephenie Meyer.
9
I WILL TEACH YOU TO BE RICH, by Ramit Sethi. (Workman, $13.95.) A six-week program for personal-finance literacy, with guidance on bank accounts, credit cards, student loans and more. (†)
10
THE BIGGEST LOSER 30-DAY JUMP START, by Cheryl Forberg, Melissa Roberson, Lisa Wheeler and others. (Rodale, $21.95.) Experts and contestants from the “Biggest Loser” TV show share weight-loss advice.
Also Selling
11
THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE, by Rick Warren (Zondervan)
12
THE BIGGEST LOSER FAMILY COOKBOOK, by Devin Alexander with Melissa Roberson (Rodale)
13
A NEW EARTH, by Eckhart Tolle (Plume)
14
HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU, by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo (Simon Spotlight Entertainment)
15
BROKEN OPEN, by Elizabeth Lesser (Villard)
This Week Hand Cover Non Fiction Best Sellers by NY Times
LIBERTY AND TYRANNY, by Mark R. Levin. (Threshold Editions, $25.) A conservative manifesto from a talk-show host and president of Landmark Legal Foundation.
2
OUTLIERS, by Malcolm Gladwell. (Little, Brown, $27.99.) Why some people succeed, from the
3
HOUSE OF CARDS, by William D. Cohan. (Doubleday, $27.95.) The fall of Bear Stearns and the beginning of the Wall Street collapse.
4
A LION CALLED CHRISTIAN, by Anthony Bourke and John Rendall. (Broadway, $21.95.) Two men buy a pet lion cub in London and bring him to Africa when he is grown.
5
THE YANKEE YEARS, by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci. (Doubleday, $26.95.) The former Yankee manager (1996-2007) on his years with the team.
6
THE LOST CITY OF Z, by David Grann. (Doubleday, $27.50.) A New Yorker writer searches for a British explorer who disappeared 80 years ago in the Amazon.
7
A BOLD FRESH PIECE OF HUMANITY, by Bill O’Reilly. (Broadway, $26.) The Fox News commentator on his upbringing and career.
8
HAPPENS EVERY DAY, by Isabel Gillies. (Scribner, $25.) A woman’s husband leaves her without warning
9*
DEWEY, by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter. (Grand Central, $19.99.) The kitten left freezing in the returned-book slot of an Iowa public library and his rise to fame.
10
MY BOOKY WOOK, by Russell Brand. (Collins, $25.99.) A memoir of sex, drugs and stand-up from a British comedian.
11
JESUS, INTERRUPTED, by Bart D. Ehrman. (HarperOne, $25.99.) Scholars'' discoveries about the New Testament.
12
HOW WE DECIDE, by Jonah Lehrer. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $25.) Learning more about how we think can help us make better decisions. First Chapter
13*
ARE YOU THERE, VODKA? IT’S ME, CHELSEA, by Chelsea Handler. (Simon Spotlight Entertainment, $24.95.) Humorous personal essays from the stand-up comedian.
14
INSIDE THE REVOLUTION, by Joel C. Rosenberg. (Tyndale, $24.99.) The power of three groups in the Middle East: Islamic radicals, moderate reformers and Muslims who are becoming Christians. (†)
15
JOKER ONE, by Donovan Campbell. (Random House, $26.) A Marine lieutenant and his platoon in Ramadi during the most violent days of the insurgency in 2004. First Chapter
Also Selling
16
IT SUCKED AND THEN I CRIED, by Heather Armstrong (Simon Spotlight Entertainment)
17
NO ANGEL, by Jay Dobyns and Nils Johnson-Shelton (Crown)
18
OUT OF CAPTIVITY, by Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, Tom Howes and Gary Brozek (William Morrow)
19
HOT, FLAT, AND CROWDED, by Thomas L. Friedman (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) First Chapter
20
WHEN MARCH WENT MAD, by Seth Davis (Times)
21
A SLOBBERING LOVE AFFAIR, by Bernard Goldberg (Regnery)
22
THE NEXT 100 YEARS, by George Friedman (Doubleday)
23
MELTDOWN, by Thomas E. Woods Jr (Regnery)
24
THE UNFORGIVING MINUTE, by Craig M. Mullaney (Penguin Press)
25
THE BLACK SWAN, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Random House) First Chapter
26
WHY WE SUCK, by Denis Leary (Viking)
27
THE ASCENT OF MONEY, by Niall Ferguson (Penguin Press)
28
IMAGINING INDIA, by Nandan Nilekani (Penguin Press)
29
DEAD AID, by Dambisa Moyo (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
30
THE THIRD REICH AT WAR, by Richard J. Evans (Penguin Press)
31
THE MIRROR EFFECT, by Drew Pinsky and S. Mark Young (Harper)
32
THE RETURN OF DEPRESSION ECONOMICS AND THE CRISIS OF 2008, by Paul Krugman (Norton)
33
THE GAMBLE, by Thomas E. Ricks (Penguin Press) First Chapter
34
OBAMA, with an introduction by Bill Keller and biographical text by Jill Abramson (Callaway)
35
AS THEY SEE 'EM, by Bruce Weber (Scribner) First Chapter
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Kris Allen Wows the Judges on American Idol
Danny Gokey, Matt Giraud and Adam Lambert topped the previous episodes of American Idol season 8 with their “blow-me-away” performances but tonight’s episode belongs to Kris Allen.
Kris also played the keyboard and was accompanied by a quartet of musicians. Although his outfit was simple (wearing only t-shirt and jeans), his version of the song was powerful.
Randy Jackson said: “For the last couple of weeks you have been slaying it. You are in the zone.” Kara DioGuardi said: “Kris I have 3 words for you - That is artistry!” Paula Abdul said: “You took a 30 year old song and made it like I heard it for the first time.” Simon Cowell said “You brought confidence tonight. Very clever, very cool. Liked to see you behind the keyboard. Best performance so far.”
Monday, March 30, 2009
The controversial article "The War at home"
Well people, I don't wanna be rude, You can read the article below....
The Russians sank a Hong Kong freighter last month, killing the seven Chinese seamen on board. We can live with that—Lenin and Stalin were once the ideological mentors of all Chinese people. The Japanese planted a flag on Dià oyú Island. That’s no big problem—we Hong Kong Chinese love Japanese cartoons, Hello Kitty, and shopping in Shinjuku, let alone our round-the-clock obsession with karaoke. But hold on—even the Filipinos? Manila has just claimed sovereignty over the scattered rocks in the South China Sea called the Spratly Islands, complete with a blatant threat from its congress to send gunboats to the South China Sea to defend the islands from China if necessary. This is beyond reproach. The reason: there are more than 130,000 Filipina maids working as $3,580-a-month cheap labor in Hong Kong. As a nation of servants, you don’t flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter.As a patriotic Chinese man, the news has made my blood boil. I summoned Louisa, my domestic assistant who holds a degree in international politics from the University of Manila, hung a map on the wall, and gave her a harsh lecture. I sternly warned her that if she wants her wages increased next year, she had better tell every one of her compatriots in Statue Square on Sunday that the entirety of the Spratly Islands belongs to China.Grimly, I told her that if war breaks out between the Philippines and China, I would have to end her employment and send her straight home, because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day. With that money, she would pay taxes to her government, and they would fund a navy to invade our motherland and deeply hurt my feelings.Oh yes. The government of the Philippines would certainly be wrong if they think we Chinese are prepared to swallow their insult and sit back and lose a Falkland Islands War in the Far East. They may have Barack Obama and the hawkish American military behind them, but we have a hostage in each of our homes in the Mid-Levels or higher. Some of my friends told me they have already declared a state of emergency at home. Their maids have been made to shout “China, Madam/Sir” loudly whenever they hear the word “Spratly.” They say the indoctrination is working as wonderfully as when we used to shout, “Long live Chairman Mao!” at the sight of a portrait of our Great Leader during the Cultural Revolution. I’m not sure if that’s going a bit too far, at least for the time being
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Top 10 Grossing Indie Films of All Time
The Passion of the Christ earned $370,270,943 in the US and $611,899,420 worldwide making it the top-grossing indie film of all time.
Here are the Top 10 Most Successful Indie Movies to date. Take note that most of them are award winners, too.
Top 10 Grossing Indie Films of All Time
1. The Passion of the Christ (2004) - $370,270,943
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
USA Today Lists 150 Best-Selling Books of the Last 15 Years
Top 150 books of the last 15 years(Rank. Title, Author)
1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, J.K. Rowling
2. Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, Robert C. Atkins
3. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling
7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling
8. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K. Rowling
9. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling
10. Who Moved My Cheese?, Spencer Johnson
11. The South Beach Diet, Arthur Agatston
12. Tuesdays With Morrie, Mitch Albom
13. Angels & Demons, Dan Brown
14. What to Expect When You’re Expecting, Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, Sandee Hathaway
15. The Purpose-Driven Life, Rick Warren
16. The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom
17. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey
18. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
19. Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, John Gray
20. The Secret, Rhonda Byrne
21. Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter
22. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
23. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… And It’s All Small Stuff, Richard Carlson
24. The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd
25. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert
26. Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
27. The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks
28. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, Kim Edwards
29. The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
30. Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden
31. A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle
32. Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, Dr. Seuss
33. The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz
34. Angela’s Ashes, Frank McCourt
35. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold
36. Body-for-Life, Bill Phillips, Michael D’Orso
37. New Moon, Stephenie Meyer
38. Night, Elie Wiesel
39. Chicken Soup for the Soul, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen
40. The Greatest Generation, Tom Brokaw
41. Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer
42. The Celestine Prophecy, James Redfield
43. Wicked, Gregory Maguire
44. Good to Great, Jim Collins
45. Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer
46. Eragon, Christopher Paolini
47. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Rebecca Wells
48. Your Best Life Now, Joel Osteen
49. In the Kitchen With Rosie, Rosie Daley
50. Simple Abundance, Sarah Ban Breathnach
51. A Child Called It, Dave Pelzer
52. A Million Little Pieces, James Frey
53. The Testament, John Grisham
54. Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Kimberly Kirberger
55. Deception Point, Dan Brown
56. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
57. Marley & Me, John Grogan
58. Dr. Atkins’ New Carbohydrate Gram Counter, Robert C. Atkins
59. Life of Pi, Yann Martel
60. The Brethren, John Grisham
61. The South Beach Diet Good Fats Good Carbs Guide, Arthur Agatston
62. The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, John Grisham
63. For One More Day, Mitch Albom
64. The Polar Express, Chris Van Allsburg
65. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
66. The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow
67. What to Expect the First Year, Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi Murkoff, Sandee Hathaway
68. Love You Forever, Robert Munsch, art by Sheila McGraw
69. Green Eggs and Ham, Dr. Seuss
70. A Painted House, John Grisham
71. The Rainmaker, John Grisham
72. Skipping Christmas, John Grisham
73. Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier
74. The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time, Mark Haddon
75. Life Strategies, Phillip C. McGraw
76. Seabiscuit: An American Legend, Laura Hillenbrand
77. The Summons, John Grisham
78. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt
79. The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien
80. The Runaway Jury, John Grisham
81. Goodnight Moon Board Book, Margaret Wise Brown
82. The Perfect Storm, Sebastian Junger
83. Snow Falling on Cedars, David Guterson
84. The Giver, Lois Lowry
85. Embraced by the Light, Betty J. Eadie
86. The Chamber, John Grisham
87. You: On A Diet, Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
88. The Prayer of Jabez, Bruce Wilkinson
89. Holes, Louis Sachar
90. Digital Fortress, Dan Brown
91. The Shack, William P. Young
92. The Devil Wears Prada, Lauren Weisberger
93. Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen
94. A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini
95. The Seat of the Soul, Gary Zukav
96. Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, Marci Shimoff
97. The Partner, John Grisham
98. Lord of the Flies, William Golding
99. Eldest: Inheritance, Book II, Christopher Paolini
100. The Broker, John Grisham
101. The Street Lawyer, John Grisham
102. A Series of Unfortunate Events No. 1: The Bad Beginning, Lemony Snicket
103. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
104. Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer
105. The King of Torts, John Grisham
106. The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell
107. The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas Evans
108. Hannibal, Thomas Harris
109. The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama
110. Running With Scissors, Augusten Burroughs
111. The Glass Castle: A Memoir, Jeannette Walls
112. My Sister’s Keeper, Jodi Picoult113. The Last Juror, John Grisham
114. The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson
115. Left Behind, Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
116. America (The Book), Jon Stewart and The Writers of The Daily Show
117. The Red Tent, Anita Diamant
118. John Adams, David McCullough
119. The Christmas Box, Richard Paul Evans
120. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Ann Brashares
121. Sugar Busters!, H. Leighton Steward, Sam S. Andrews, Morrison C. Bethea, Luis A. Balart
122. Blink, Malcolm Gladwell
123. The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle
124. 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life, Don Piper, Cecil Murphey
125. The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien
126. 1776, David McCullough
127. The Bridges of Madison County, Robert James Waller
128. Where the Heart Is, Billie Letts
129. The Ultimate Weight Solution, Phillip C. McGraw
130. Protein Power, Michael R. Eades, Mary Dan Eades
131. Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, Marci Shimoff
132. Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer
133. Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides
134. Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin
135. You: The Owner’s Manual, Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
136. 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler’s Life List Patricia Schultz
137. Self Matters, Phillip C. McGraw
138. She’s Come Undone, Wally Lamb
139. 1984, George Orwell
140. The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis
141. The Millionaire Next Door, Thomas J. Stanley, William D. Danko
142. The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory
143. The Zone, Barry Sears, Bill Lawren
144. The Pilot’s Wife, Anita Shreve
145. The Lost World, Michael Crichton
146. Atonement, Ian McEwan
147. He’s Just Not That Into You, Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo
148. Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
149. The World Is Flat, Thomas L. Friedman
150. Cross, James Patterson
USA TODAY’s list is based on sales at 4,700 chain, independent, discount and online booksellers. Unlike other national lists, it combines fiction, non-fiction, hardcover, paperback or other categories on a single list.
Source: USA Today
Monday, March 16, 2009
40 HIGHEST-RATING SHOWS IN THE PHILIPPINES
1. The Battle: Pacquiao vs. Morales (2006, ABS-CBN)(83.5%)
2. Rosalinda (1999, ABS-CBN) (69.8%)
3. Meteor Garden (2003, ABS-CBN) (63.8%)
4. Esperanza (1997, ABS-CBN) (63.5%)
5. Ms. Universe (1994, ABS-CBN) (62.5%)
6. Pangako Sa’yo (2002, ABS-CBN)(62.1%)
7. Marimar (1994, RPN9) (61.7%)
8. Maria Mercedes (1996, ABS-CBN) (59.7%)
9. Ms. Universe (1999, RPN9) (58.4%)
10. Bubble Gang (1997, GMA) (57.6%)
11. Maalala mo kaya (1991, ABS-CBN) (57.3%)
12. Balitang K (1998, ABS-CBN) (56.6%)
13. Wansapanatym (1997, ABS-CBN) (56.4%)
14. TV Patrol (1996, ABS-CBN) (56%)
15. I-Witness (1999, GMA) (55.3%)
16. Magandang Gabi…Bayan (2000, ABS-CBN) (55%)
17. Darna (2005, GMA) (54.3%)
18. Mula sa Puso (1994, ABS-CBN) (53.7%)
19. Pacquiao vs. Barrera (2004, RPN9) (52.9%)
20. 2005 SEA Games (2005, ABC-5) (52.6%)
21. Basta’t Kasama kita (2003, ABS-CBN) (52.5%)
22. Star Circle Quest (2004, ABS-CBN) (52.3%)
23. F.l.a.m.e.s (1996, ABS-CBN) (51.9%)
24. Encantadia (2005, GMA) (51.7%)
25. Marina (2004, ABS-CBN)(50.8%)
26. Pinoy Big Brother (2005, ABS-CBN) (50.4%)
27. Mojacko (1998, GMA) (49%)
28. Star Circle Quest (2004, ABS-CBN) (48.2%)
29. Mulawin (2004, GMA) (47.3%)
30. Bituin (2003, ABS-CBN) (47.2%)
31. Saan ka man naroroon (1999,ABS-CBN) (46.8%)
32. Starstruck (Season 3) (2005, GMA) (46.4%)
33. Lovers in Paris (2004, ABS-CBN) (45.7%)
34. Papal Visit 1995 (1995, GMA) (45.3%)
35. Mara Clara (1994, ABS-CBN) (45.1%)
36. Princess Sarah (1995, ABS-CBN) (44.3%)
37. Sugo (2005, GMA) (43.2%)
38. Sa Puso ko, Iiangatan ka (2003, ABS-CBN) (42.7%)
39. Full House (Korean Drama) (2004, GMA) (42.3%)
40. Stairway to heaven (2004, GMA) (41.5%)
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Kawasaki Disease...- motorcycle failure or health disease?
Kawasaki disease is an illness that involves the skin, mouth, and lymph nodes, and most often affects kids under age 5. The cause is unknown, but if the symptoms are recognized early, kids with Kawasaki disease can fully recover within a few days. Untreated, it can lead to serious complications that can affect the heart.
Kawasaki disease occurs in 19 out of every 100,000 kids in the United States. It is most common among children of Japanese and Korean descent, but can affect all ethnic groups.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Feed your mind
Have you ever heard your colleague saying the word " flabbergasted"? Do you know what does it mean... ?
flabbergasted (adjective)
as if struck dumb with astonishment and surprise; "a circle of policement stood dumbfounded by her denial of having seen the accident"; "the flabbergasted aldermen were speechless"; "was thunderstruck by the news of his promotion" [syn: dumbfounded]
How about discombobulated?
discombobulated (adjective)
having self-possession upset; thrown into confusion; "the hecklers pelted the discombobulated speaker with anything that came to hand"; "looked at each other dumbly, quite disconcerted"- G.B.Shaw
LOL
Dont' mess up your life with idiot customers everyday... try to laugh.... live you life happily...
Misdirectory Assistance
Agent : What city and listings?
Caller : Sears in Chicago, please…
Agent : One moment for the Chicago Police…Please hold for the number, thank you.
Agent releases the Chicago Police Department number.
Avoid Saying “Ma’am”
Agent : What city and listings?
Caller : Dover, Delaware. I need the Dog Pound.
Agent : One moment…Is it Dover, ma’am?
Caller : Huh? I don’t know if it’s a doberman. It’s just a big black dog that’s ruining my lawn! (laughs)
Disgrace Anatomy
Bad-Accent Agent : Thank you for calling ____! My name is Joseph. May I have your customer ID, please?
Irate Caller : Give me somebody who can speak English.
Bad-Accent Agent : I’m speaking in English, ma’am.
Irate Caller : Well, I don’t understand you! Where are you from?
Bad-Accent Agent : I’m located in a call center in the Philippines…
Irate Caller : Philippines? Where the f*** is that?
Bad-Accent Agent : It’s far from Uranus…
(Don’t event try that!)
Line To Heaven
Very Irate Caller : I’ve been through this long enough! I’ve been transferred ten times, I’ve been put on hold ten times. This is my third time to call. Just give me your supervisor!
Soft-Spoken Agent : The supervisor is not availabl at the moment, but I’ll see what we can do…
Very Irate Caler : No! There’s nothing you can do! Just give me anyone higher. Your manager, your president, or God. I don’t care.
Soft-spoken agent: Sir, the manager and the president are not available at the moment. But the good news is…God is just a prayer away.
Ignorant Inside
Technical Support: Now look at the front side panel of your computer and tell me what you see.
Non-Techie Customer: I have, you know, the trays for CD’s and the diskette drive and some buttons and lights.
Technical Support: Great! Look at the drive. Is there a square thing inside? Is there a diskette inside?
Non-Techie Customer: No, but there’s a square thing with Intel Inside.
Economy Class By Francis Kong | February 27, 2009
And then it dawned on me. I have always persuaded the organizers of my speaking events to book me on PAL flights as I usually take the first flight out and would prefer the comfort of the Mabuhay lounge for a little bit of rest and preparation. But due to budget considerations, organizers book me promo tickets that do not provide miles credit and thus, the downgrade.
Now this leaves me with a quandary. Should I then just leave them to book me whatever tickets they want or maybe I can require them to book me “Business Class” as part of my demands?
My constant email pal Philip See sent me this interesting article that made me decide on the proper course of action. It is based on an article written by Singapore’s millionaire Adam Khoo. Adam says: “Someone came up to me and asked, ‘How come a millionaire like you is travelling economy?’ My reply was, ‘That’s why I am a millionaire.’ He still looked pretty confused. This again confirms that greatest lie ever told about wealth. Many people have been brainwashed to think that millionaires have to wear Gucci, Hugo Boss, Rolex, and sit on first class in air travel.
The truth is that most self-made millionaires are frugal and only spend on what is necessary and of value. That is why they are able to accumulate and multiply their wealth so much faster. I refuse to buy a first class ticket or to buy a $300 shirt because I think that it is a complete waste of money. However, I happily pay $1,300 to send my 2-year old daughter to Julia Gabriel Speech and Drama without thinking twice.
I noticed that it was only those who never had to work hard to build their own wealth spent like there was no tomorrow. Somehow, when you did not have to build everything from scratch, you do not really value money. This is precisely the reason why a family’s wealth (no matter how much) rarely lasts past the third generation. Then some people ask me, ‘What is the point in making so much money if you don’t enjoy it?’
I don’t really find happiness in buying branded clothes, jewelry or sitting first class. Even if buying something makes me happy it is only for a while, it does not last. Material happiness never last, it just give you a quick fix. After a while you feel lousy again and have to buy the next thing which you think will make you happy. I always think that if you need material things to make you happy, then you live a pretty sad and unfulfilled life. Instead, what makes me happy is when I see my children laughing and playing and learning so fast. What makes me happy is when I see my companies and trainers reaching more and more people every year in so many more countries. What makes me really happy is when I read all the emails about how my books and seminars have touched and inspired someone’s life.
The point I want to put across is that happiness must come from doing your life’s work (be in teaching, building homes, designing, trading, winning tournaments etc..) and the money that comes is only a by-product. If you hate what you are doing and rely on the money you earn to make you happy by buying stuff, then I think that you are living a meaningless life.
End of article. Thanks Philip for the wonderful article.
How true this is. Now I know what I would do. I will never insist on my organizers getting me a Business Class ticket. I will feel the joy of lining up on economy row just like the rest of the people I know. I wouldn’t mind waiting outside the lounge because while these things offer me convenience, they do not offer me happiness. And I will be happy not because of what is on me but what is IN me.
Colors of life
I love my friends Episode 2
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
I love my friends!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
My 48
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?I can't remember
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yep...I love it!
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?Chicken Joy! I like chicken joy...
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? No... not yet...I don't have any plan...
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes! Definitely..lol
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM? Yeah! always!
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?I guess so...
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?I have not try it yet! I wanna try it someday....
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? I don't cereals...mahirap lang me...he he he
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Yeah...why?
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Arce Dairy! is that correct?
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? uhmmm....next question please...lol
15. RED OR PINK? Red
16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Emotionally attach easily with one person... tama ba yun...?
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Who?.....lol? My mom...I miss her a lot...
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?Yes!
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Bench Low Rise Jeans and Vans Shoes
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? This crazy customer....
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Blue
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? Bench Piolo Pascual Perfume Edition
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My Ascentive Customer
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Nobody sent it to me...I copied it from my friends' facebook account.....
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?Basketball, Volleyball and Lawn Tennis...
27. HAIR COLOR?Black
28. EYE COLOR?Don't know
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?No...
30. FAVORITE FOOD?Chicken,... i have wings na nga eh,...
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?Happy Endings.
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?In the cinema - Benjamin Button
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?White
34. Summer or winter?Summer
35. HUGS OR KISSES? Kisses....lol
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Bloggers
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?Those who are not really into this thing..
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Twilight...It's better late than never
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? None...I don't have any...
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? May Bukas Pa...No cable
42. FAVORITE SOUND? Sound of Music
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?Beatles...
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? I come from Mindanao...so Manila...he he he
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?Lots
46 WHERE WERE U BORN?Kalamansig Sultan Kudarat! Anu?
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? Anybody
48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER? Wahaha...don't ask me that question...